This invention relates to a system for controlling the flow of pressurized fluids and more particularly to valve devices or mechanisms for use with high pressure gas release vessels or containers on an aircraft emergency escape slide and off-shore emergency escape slides or as valve mechanisms on high pressure vessels to eliminate potential catastrophic problems of high pressure gas release.
The inflatable escape slide and the pressure vessel along with its regulating valve system is stored adjacent to an egress door of an aircraft in a deflated condition. When necessary to evacuate the passengers and the crew members as quickly as possible, the deflated slide is deployed outwardly from the aircraft. As the slide is extended outwardly from the egress door, a lanyard is actuated to permit the escape slide to be pressurized from a pressurized pressure vessel or container and its regulatory valve.
The pressurized vessel or container and its valve system for safety reasons, must be constructed such that when inadvertently or by some accident such vessel is dropped, that the valves may sustain extensive damage without precipitating hazardous discharge of the stored gas. Under ordinary circumstance the rupture of the body of the regulating valves would cause an uncontrolled release of the pressurized gas or fluid and would cause the pressurized container to become self-propelled, thus putting any personnel or equipment close thereto in great danger. The escaping gases could propel the container or pressurized vessel at an alarming high velocity. One of the devices used to prevent these mishaps is a cage that encloses and protects the regulating valves. The cage prevents the separation of the valves from the pressurized container upon impact or inadvertent damage. The use of the cage adds extra weight to the escape slide system and since this is an aerospace application, the addition of weight is undesirable and should be avoided. In addition, the cage adds considerable volume to the system thus requiring the aircraft manufacturer to allot additional space on the aircraft for the auxiliary equipment. Further, the cage requires additional machining and welding which adds cost to the system.
The present invention eliminates the need for a cage and designs the valves with two portions: an upper portion that projects out of the container, a lower portion that is located within the body portion of the container that contains the high pressure fluid, and an integral safety valve that upon rupture of or any breaking of the upper portions of the valves will prevent the contents of the pressurized container from rapid escape or uncontrolled release. Such valves are lightweight in construction, compact, reliable and maintain a cost advantage over present structures.
A system for controlling with safety the transfer of pressurized fluids through valve mechanisms from a pressurized container at a lower controlled pressure to inflate an inflatable escape slide or otherwise provide a controlled measured flow. The container is mounted on the escape slide and has control and regulating valves, such as first and second valve mechanisms, secured thereto. The container has a necked portion to receive a nipple portion of the valve housing which contains the first and second valve mechanisms. The first valve mechanism is operative when actuated by suitable devices such as a lanyard to direct fluids at high pressures to the second valve mechanism whose function is to transfer the high pressure fluids at a lower controlled rate to the inflatable escape slide.
A safety valve is operated in conjunction with the valve mechanisms to insure the delivery of the high pressure fluids as required by the actuation. The safety valve is located in the nipple portion of the valve housing so that in the event the valve housing, which contains the first valve mechanism and the second valve mechanism, is broken off by accident as by dropping the container, the high pressure fluids are blocked from leaving the container. This action prevents the uncontrolled release of the pressurized gas or fluid which would cause the pressurized container to become self propelled at dangerously high velocities.